The Inventor and The Witch
by RebelMK94
Summary: Dawkins has been working on a machine in secret, soon he finds himself in over his head. The question is has the young inventor gone too far? And can Dante bring him back to his senses? Sequel to 'A Death in the Family', part of the 'Missing Pieces' saga.
1. Chapter 1: Calm Before the Storm

**My first fic of 2020, as always enjoy and leave reviews. I read them even if I'm not very responsive.**

It had been three months since that terrible incident, Dawkins was in his room hard at work on a new invention. He wasn't sure it was possible, but he wanted to try. The inventor pondered if this was even a good idea.

Dante entered the room, he was curious as to what the inventor was up to. "What are you up to, Dawk?" The goth pup replied, having gone back to the fur dye. He did tone his antics down a bit, but he just felt the fur dye looked cool.

"I have been working on a new machine, I'm not sure it'll work though," Dawkins shared with the goth who cocked his head to the side. "What's it gonna do? Time travel?" Dante asked, thinking of the possibilities that could entail.

"No, it's… Alright, this is gonna sound odd. But, it's a resurrection machine," the inventor told Dante, the goth blinked as he processed the information. "Wait, bro. You mean to tell me, you are trying to build a machine to bring back the dead?" Dante asked in confusion.

"It's an idea, I'm not sure it will work. This is all built on speculation, and I need a mechanic to help with some of the parts," Dawkins shared with his confounded brother. "What if someone tries to build a zombie army with it?" The goth asked quizzically, the inventor waved a paw around.

"Dante, there's no such thing as zombies. Besides, I'm not sure how this is gonna work," Dawkins told the goth, skeptical of Dante's fears. "How exactly did you construct this?" the goth asked the inventor, curious about his brother's invention.

"I read up on some research on theories involving reviving a living being, I have guessed on everything. But, I need someone with experience working on different machines. This is a secret from Dylan, he's been too focused on chores," Dawkins admitted to Dante.

"Who else do you know that can help?" The goth asked still curious about the machine, Dawkins shook his head. "None, and I need someone who can crawl through a tight space," the inventor told his brother with an exasperated sigh.

"Well, maybe Fergus knows someone. Let's go talk to him," Dante told the inventor, wanting an excuse to get outside. "Yes, I guess we could. I haven't since he and Dolly…" Dawkins said remembering them breaking up.

"Yes, but it's been a couple weeks. They're still friends, let's get going. You need to get outside for a bit," the goth told his brother who seemed to agree. Making their way out of the house, they past by their many siblings who were getting ready to go to the park.

"Where are you two going?" Dylan asked the two as he counted pups, Dante and Dawkins shrugged, having no reason to lie. "We're going to see Fergus, we need his help with something," Dawkins told his older brother, Dylan nodded and let them go.

Dante waved to Dolly as he passed her, the tomboy was busy talking with Dizzy and Dee Dee. The goth decided not to bother his sister, who gave him a nod to acknowledge him. The two brothers exited the doggy door and began walking towards the bridge the fox was often at.

"For the record, I still think this is a terrible idea," Dante told the inventor, Dawkins looked at his brother with a curious gaze. "Then, why are you willing to help me?" Dawkins asked the goth, who grimaced as he looked around.

"Someone has to make sure you don't go all 'Dr. Frankenstein' on us," Dante joked with some truth in his statement. "Don't worry, Dante. The worst that can happen is nothing," Dawkins reassured his brother.

The inventor was worried his brother may be right, it did feel wrong from a moral sense. The thought of bringing someone back from the dead, something from fantasy. Part of him hoped it would fail, he felt as if it was going too far.

The nagging feeling continued in his head, as the two brothers walked in silence. He remembered when Dante pulled the prank with Portia to teach Dylan a lesson, the inventor wondered if the goth was thinking of a similar plan.

"Are you sure about doing this, Dawkins? We've come a long way, what if… This causes us more unnecessary grief?" Dante looked to the inventor for an answer, Dawkins couldn't find a suitable answer.

They were about to walk by the park when they noticed a familiar looking fox digging through the trash. "Fergus, we have a question," Dawkins told the fox, who's ears perked up. "It wasn't me! I mean, what's the question?" Fergus asked surprised by the two pups, and falling deeper into the trash can.

"Do you know anyone who can help work on machinery?" Dawkins asked the fox, who grinned at the inventor. "Why I know just the pup, a little new in town. But, she's always messing with old bikes and gadgets, you two would get along great," Fergus told the two brothers.

The fox got out and lead the two to a scrapyard. He brought them through a broken part of the fence, rusting old cars and mechanical parts littered the dirt land. "So, what happened between you and Dolly again?" Dawkins asked curious as to what happened between them.

"Oh, uh, I guess we just couldn't quite work out some issues. We just needed to take a break essentially," Fergus told them, not caring to get into the details. Dawkins left it at that, not wanting to pry further.

They approached a Dalmatian close to Dawkins' age. Her fur a mix of black spots and grease stains. Dawkins watched her excitedly putting together an engine, he was curious as to why. He also noticed a splotch on her right eye and a black left ear.

He noted she wasn't wearing a collar, noting that she must be a stray. He looked her over, from nose to tail. He didn't realize he was staring until a paw shook him out of it, he looked to see Dante smirking.

"If you're done staring, let's introduce ourselves," the goth said as Fergus went over to the mechanic. Stopping what she was doing, she looked up at the three confused as she wondered why they were there.

"Hey, Detroit. These two are are friends of mine, and want your help with something," Fergus told the mechanic, who looked towards the two. "Yeah, not my kind of job," Detroit told the fox who had stifle his laughter.

"No, that's not what I meant. Ya see, Dawkins here fancies himself an inventor of sorts," Fergus told the mechanic, she looked at the two once again. "So, ones an inventor and what's with tall, dark, and gloomy?" Detroit asked half seriously, Dante smirked at Dawkins.

"You two will really get along," Dante told his brother, Dawkins shook his head in annoyance. "All I need is someone to help me work on a machine, that is all," the inventor said, trying to hide the frustration in his voice.

"What kind of machine? I could take a look at least," Detroit said and walked towards them. "Alright, follow me to my house and I'll show you," the inventor told the mechanic, she went with the group as they walked back home.

It was quiet walk aside from the usual sounds of London. Dawkins and his brother walked by the park as his family enjoyed the beautiful day. The inventor was thinking of joining his family, but he had already made up his mind.

"So, it's not too far away now. It's right up ahead," the inventor told Detroit who looked around disinterested. She had become used to London, and wasn't sure what to think of the two Dalmatians.

The mechanic was led to a colorful house that seemed out of place, she wondered about the human that owned it. They had to have a human, Detroit thought to herself as she walked up to the door.

"I've never seen a house so colorful," Detroit admitted to the three, Fergus grinned at her. "This house does have a strange charm to it, trust me on that," Fergus told the mechanic who looked at him with her curiosity piqued.

Detroit followed Dawkins to his room as he showed her the machine. The base was circular with a control panel jutted out, Four metal poles connecting glass, with a panel off to the side revealing where a power source should go.

"I see, you need me to find an engine for you, you need a way to power it," the mechanic noted as she looked over the machine. Dawkins shrugged as Detroit wasn't entirely wrong, all of this was guess work at best.

"So, how did you meet her, Fergus?" Dante asked the fox, curious about this new arrival. Fergus didn't respond at first, the goth wondered if something was up. The cunning fox pulled Dante into a hug, and grinned.

"So, there I was…" Fergus started to say recounting one of his stories, Dante just rolled his eyes. Fergus was cool, but he started understanding why his sister broke up with him. The fox would always be causing trouble, or outright lying and showed no signs of stopping soon.

"You saw her in the scrapyard and spoke to her?" Dante said just wanting cut to the chase. He wasn't concerned about the foxes tall tales, but noticed Dawkins kept looking at Detroit. He would torment his brother later, for now he'll keep playing dumb.

"I'll get back to the scrapyard and try to find an engine that will fit it, also I'll need a set of blueprints. What kind of machine is this?" Detroit spoke to Dawkins, who seemed more nervous. "It's a new project, something that I'm not sure has been tried before," Dawkins said afraid to say much else.

Detroit gave him a quizzical look, feeling he was hiding something. She decided to let it go as they'd only just met and she was only asked to help. She told the two brothers and fox goodbye and exited the house.

Dawkins watched her leave, only turn around to a couple big grins. "I see your taking a liking to her already, and you got her in your room," Fergus began teasing, the inventor groaned and looked to Dante who he suspected was going to say something smart.

"Only just met her and can't take your eyes off her, bro? Have you been that lonely, Dawk?" Dante started teasing his brother who glared daggers at him. Dawkins wanted to defend himself, and spoke up.

"I wasn't staring at her I was worried she would break my invention, I'm very particular with everyone no matter how cute they are," the inventor spoke in his haughty tone, and then he heard snickering and realized his faux pas.

"I-I didn't mean that!" Dawkins exclaimed in frustration, as he looked Dante and Fergus in the eyes. "Didn't mean what? Oh, er, hey Fergus," Dolly said entering the room, and acknowledged the fox in an awkward manner.

"Hey, Dolly. We're just messing with Dawkins a bit," Fergus told her scratching his head, not sure what to say. "We met a girl today and smarty pants couldn't take his eyes off her," Dante said still teasing his brother.

"Oooh, really? So, what's she like?" Dolly asked smirking and pulling Dawkins close. "She's a mechanic, very straightforward," Dawkins said to his older sister, he was nervous about the attention he was getting as he wasn't used to it.

"Very snarky, loves making quips, and I'll admit kinda cute. She's almost too perfect for him," Dante said smiling at his own teasing, Dolly looked at the goth with expression warning Dante to stop his teasing.

"Alright, alright… Still, he's only met her today. I guess time will tell how things go," Dante said backing off a bit, knowing when Dolly told him to stop it was too far. Fergus got up and waved goodbye.

"I guess I'll get going, see you around. Take care you three," the fox said giving one quick glance to Dolly. He wasn't sure if he was completely over her, or if she was over him. Fergus exited the house, thinking of that night under the bridge.

It felt so long ago, he wanted to help his friend and did what he could for her. The fox wondered about if it was the right thing to do. He thought about how vulnerable she was, it felt so out of place for the tomboy.

Fergus reaffirmed to himself, that he had done what was best. He wanted to get Dolly back as much as everyone else. If he hadn't talked to her, things could have gotten worse and Fergus couldn't have left Dolly like that.

The fox walked down the street, thinking of the times he hurt the family. It seemed even when he wanted to help he did more harm than good. He did regretted not being able to help when that dog tried to attack.

Fergus knew deep down he needed to change, before he hurt someone. His reckless behavior had caused enough trouble. In the end, he knew he needed to be their for his friends. "I'm gonna learn to be a better friend, Doll," Fergus said to himself as he made his way home.

**I know, I know, that cliche! But, I'm gonna go with it and the next chapter, well you'll see.**


	2. Chapter 2: An Odd Meeting

Dawkins walked along the dark halls, silence and a putrid smell to keep him company. He couldn't see any of his siblings as he looked around. "Hello, Dylan? Dante? Dolly? Anyone?" The inventor called out his heart racing as he moved towards a nearby door.

Opening the door revealed a disturbing scene, he had to turn away from the remains of five of his younger siblings. The grisly scene etched in his mind, as he went to investigate the house, terrified of what awaited him.

He started to notice blood and what looked to be canine remains all around him. As he approached the end of the hall, the images of Triple D, Dizzy, and Dee Dee wouldn't leave his mind. The inventor walked up to another door, and opened it to reveal another scene.

Da Vinci laid on the floor, slain and gutted with blood all around her. Dawkins' heart raced, the scene of his sister's body was too much. "I need to wake up, I need to wake up," Dawkins repeated with panic in his voice.

The bloody mass of the painter, he couldn't stomach it. Dawkins looked away, only to see Dylan's body. His older brother's skull smashed in, not as mutilated as the others, with blood and brains covering the floor.

The inventor turned once again, this time it was Dolly. Her throat was torn out from powerful jaws. The inventor wanted to get out of this nightmare, he needed to wake up. But, it was as if his body refused to let him awaken.

"Dawkins, I warned you!" Dante's voice rang out, grabbing the inventor with a bloody paw. Dawkins tried to break free, as he watched his brother taking his last breaths. The scenes he was seeing were unbearable as he closed his eyes hoping to open them and be away from the nightmare.

When Dawkins opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of someone he was surprised by. He was on the verge of tears as he saw his deceased brother, Dimitri 2 looked terrified about something. Dawkins gulped at the sight he was getting, it was the most haunting thing he'd seen.

"Dawkins, why couldn't you let me rest in peace?!" Dimitri 2 yelled out in front of him, his body covered in cuts and bruises. He looked at his deceased brother, who was covered in blood and his collar being stained red as well.

Dawkins looked at his brother's scarred face, it's expression stuck in his mind. The inventor stepped back and felt himself hit something behind him. Looking up, he saw a dark figure growling at him, it's jaws curled into a snarl.

The inventor turned and tried to back away from this dark figure, who reached out and grabbed him. "This time, I will finish the job boy," the assailant said with a low growl reaching out and choking the inventor. "No, no, it's only a dream, this isn't real," Dawkins screamed looking into the face of his attacker in terror.

"Wake up, Dawk. It's only a dream, it's okay," the voice of Dylan spoke as the inventor was shaken awake. Dawkins looked up Dylan and quickly hugged him, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. "It's okay, Dawkins. You're gonna be fine," the elder brother spoke, his voice was gentle and caring.

"I saw… It was…" Dawkins tried to say but was hushed, the space pup just patted the inventor on the head. The two brothers held the embrace for a moment, Dawkins soon found himself calming down. Dylan had always done his best to take care of his siblings, and the inventor was no exception.

"It's time to eat. You can tell me about it later," Dylan told his brother, the inventor broke the hug and got up. He looked over at the machine which was covered by a blue tarp. Dylan followed his gaze and noticed it, now curious as to what his brother was doing.

"What is that, Dawkins?" Dylan asked the inventor who shifted in nervousness. "A new invention, need to find a way to power it," Dawkins told his brother and made his way to the door, Dylan watched his brother leave wondering why the inventor left so quickly.

Dylan figured he'd ask later, but first he'd go and talk to Dolly. While she was back to her usual self, he felt bad for his sister. It seemed life was throwing her curveballs in every direction. She was up and about already, but it was never too hard to find the tomboy.

Dolly was adjusting a desk one of the pups had almost knocked over. "Dolly, anything on your mind?" Dylan asked his sister, there had been something she wasn't saying about what happened with Fergus. They had been happy together, but it seemed to change suddenly.

"Nothing, I've told you before. I'm fine, stop worrying about it," Dolly told him, not wanting to share. "Come on, Dolly. We've been through this before, and I want to help you get over this," Dylan told the tomboy, trying to reason with her.

"Fine, the reason for the break up wasn't typical," Dolly told her brother with a sigh, if she were honest she needed it off her chest. "So, not long after we became a thing. Mom said she needed to speak with me, about something urgent," the tomboy was still trying to figure out how to explain.

"What does this have to do with Fergus?" Dylan asked his sister, who huffed at his response. "We went to a room in private, and I got a little nervous. Then, she said she needed to ask me a personal question," Dolly said recounting the events, she didn't want the younger pups to hear this conversation.

"She asked if Fergus and I… Did anything, and I told her no. I wasn't prepared for it, but something was up," Dolly said recalling her mother getting ready to break the bad news to her. "As you know, me and Fergus could never have pups. Well, it's worse than that," Dolly said on the verge of tears.

"I guess it was strange, for us to be together. But then, mom told me that if we did something…" Dolly was struggling to finish, Dylan now realized there was more than things not working out. "That we couldn't do anything, or I would die. His DNA would be so incompatible, it would be like ingesting poison," Dolly told Dylan and bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes.

"I told Fergus, and he said it was for the best if we weren't together. I guess we'll find someone for both of us, but it was never going to be a happy ending with us together," Dolly finished as Dylan pulled her into a hug, embracing his hurting sister.

"Just remember, I'm here for you sis. I know it hurts, but don't worry you'll find someone else at some point," Dylan tried to reassure her, not sure how to comfort Dolly. He'd opened this can of worms, so he knew he had to be prepared.

Breakfast was silent as no one seemed to want to speak, it was eerie to Dylan. He hadn't had a breakfast this quiet since the incident. He looked over at Dimitris one and three, and sighed he knew they weren't over it, in truth no one was.

Soon enough, it was time for everyone to get ready for the park. Dante and Dawkins decided to join them, they stood with the two Dimitris who were chatting about what mischief they could get up to.

"We could play tug of war, it's been awhile since we did," D1 said to Dimitri 3, the two brothers thought it over and agreed to that. The two troublemakers walked with their siblings to the park. Dawkins listened and thought about how much those two changed.

It was a quiet uneventful walk, they made it to the park and all pups ran off to do their own thing. Dante and Dawkins walked along the trail, it wasn't a quiet day with the sound of playing near them. Yet, there was a charm to it that both could enjoy.

"Are you sure about this, Dawk?" Dante asked his brother, showing great concern. "Dante, this is just an experiment. I can assure you, if I manage this, it will be a great discovery," Dawkins shared with his brother, the inventor was thinking over how this would look.

"If I can scientifically bring the dead back to life, I would be famous and appreciated by many," Dawkins told the goth while gazing into the sky. Dante was confused at his brother's remarks, wondering what this was about. "It's not about bringing him back is it?" Dante asked with a glare.

"I- Dante, this is more than that. Look at the big picture, bringing someone back from the dead would be a big deal," Dawkins told his brother, this could be a huge scientific breakthrough. The inventor wished he could get his brother to realize how big this would be.

"Bringing the dead back to life, interesting discussion," a white pup told the brothers as she walked towards them, being about their age with a purple collar that had a crown pennant. "Who are you? This is kind of private," Dante told her, annoyed and wanting the new visit to leave.

"That's no way to talk to a lady, surely your mother taught you that," was all the pup answered with, her voice sounding regal in a sense. "My name is Diana, and it so happens I am familiar with this topic," Diana told them, the two brothers exchanged glances.

"Uh, well I'm Dawkins and this is my brother Dante," the inventor stated unsure of where this was heading. "Nice to meet you, now resurrection is something out of fantasy isn't it?" The regal pup asked, her sweet voice soft to their ears.

"Yes, though I believe everything has a scientific answer," Dawkins said matter of factly, Dante looked suspicious of this new pup. Sure he had love for the supernatural, but something seemed odd.

Her way of talking felt old fashioned, Dante couldn't quite place it. He wasn't willing to make accusations, but she also interjected herself into the conversation. Also she didn't scoff at the idea, which the goth felt was strange.

"Perhaps, you two could meet me in the moonlight. Then, I can introduce you to a device that can help with your experiment," Diana told them, and walked away. Dante and Dawkins merely looked at each other in confusion.

"Dante! Dawkins! Dolly has been looking for you two," the voice of Da Vinci called out to them as she ran towards them. The two brothers turned to face her, wanting to see what was going on.

"We're about to leave, and she asked me to come get you," Da Vinci told them as she approached, motioning for them to follow her. Dawkins and Dante nodded going with her, still not sure of what to think of their recent encounter.

"Do you think we should sneak out after dark to see what she was on about?" Dante asked his brother who seemed to take a long time to answer. "She was a little suspicious and what could she have possibly meant by what she said?" The inventor asked in concern.

"Something about her doesn't sit right with me," Dante admitted to Dawkins who let out a sigh. "Dante, I'm not sure I've asked or if you care to talk about it, but do the events of that night still bother you?" Dawkins asked curious about how his brother managed to handle it.

Dante just gave him a look as if to say 'What do you think?' He took his time to respond to that, finally giving a sigh. "He deserved it, trust me. I had Dylan ask Pearl to look him up, and he was a complete bastard," Dante admitted to the inventor with a sigh.

"I still took a life, and it's an understatement to say it doesn't bother me. But, if I hadn't… I'm not sure what would have happened," the goth spoke with a burden of guilt in his voice, he didn't doubt he did the right thing but wished there had been another way.

"I'm sorry, Dante. I was such a jerk to you that week, I hope we never fight like that again," Dawkins said hugging Dante, noticing Da Vinci smiling at the two of them as she led them to the group of pups.

"None of us qualified for handling grief well, it was hard on all of us. The truth is, there was no right way to handle it," Dante said to Dawkins, as they got in line. The events of that week ingrained in both their minds as they made their way back home.


	3. Chapter 3: Tug o' War

**Sorry for short chapter, wasn't sure where to go with it. Also, I won't be acknowledging the season finale in this story for obvious reasons.**

Dimitris 1 and 3 sat in their room, going through everything and seeing what to throw away. "We should really get rid of his things, or something… We both know he isn't coming back," D1 told his brother, pointing out that they never got rid of their lost brother's things.

"But, I think we should keep his things. Split it between us, some of his stuff is still good," D3 argued, not wanting to throw D2's things away. They hadn't really touched anything in the area where their late brother slept, they just argued about mostly.

D1 sighed at D3's response, for him it hurt seeing the empty bed and forgotten chew toys. Everytime he looked over at the empty bed, it just reminded him of the loss. "That just reminds us of the incident, I… I can't stand it! Here we are acting as if it's all fine, as if everything is fine!" D1 shouted in anger, D3 stepped back in surprise.

"Fine?! We nearly died, lost a brother, and someone broke into our house. Why are we acting like a big happy family again, I guess everyone else can forget…" D1 said as he felt himself break down.

"I can't forget, he was my brother… I can't… get that day out of my head…" D1 got out and finally broke down crying. D3 walked over and hugged his brother, he still felt guilty and deep down wanted his brother back.

"No one's forgotten him, I can't forget him and there are days I wish it could be three of us again. But, we shouldn't dwell on it now," D3 said with a sigh, he wasn't great at comforting others but he could try.

"Shouldn't dwell on it? Then what do you suggest?" D1 asked his brother, voice filled with venom. Deepak had been helping them a lot, but when the two were alone it was like a void was between them.

"Why don't we go to the park, play some games, cause some mischief or just act like our old selves again," Dimitri 3 suggested and began to exit the room, followed by his brother who still wasn't sold on the idea.

"I guess we could try, beats being in here," D1 said as he made his way down stairs and lined up with his brother to head to the park. There was a bit of chatting as they made their way to the park.

They'd both agreed to a game of tug of war, and followed along with their siblings. "Well, let's get started then," D1 said as he went to a good spot and picked up the end of the rope. Dimitri 3 went to the other end and began to tug the rope with all the power he could muster.

D1 pulled back standing his ground as his brother pulled and did his best to not give an inch. D3 kept pulling against his brother and didn't notice the gathering pups around them. The pups cheered for the one they wanted to win, the Dimitris were determined to win as they both tried to get the other to lose balance.

Dylan had decided to take a moment to watch the Dimitris playing, he felt so bad for them. They took everything so hard and Dylan didn't have to ask why, losing someone so close would be hard on anyone.

Dylan knew that too well, witnessing a loved one in their final moments was a heartbreaking thing. The family had done their best to help them move on as best they could, but the geeky pup knew they were still hurting.

As he watched the two, a rottweiler sat next to him. "Those two have come a long way, huh?" Roxy asked sitting beside Dylan and smiling. "Hello, Roxy. I guess they have, I wish I could say it got easier," Dylan said watching as Dimitri 1 began to get the advantage on D3.

"That was a lot to go through, I wish could have been there for you," Roxy said and sighed. "Roxy, it all worked out and we understand. But, how is Billy doing?" Dylan asked, feeling like changing the subject.

"He's doing great, been spoiled rotten ever since moving in," Roxy said grinning and wagging her tail. Her adopted brother was around, but she wasn't sure what she was up to. "That's great, at least he's happy," Dylan said with a chuckle.

"Though, he has been wanting to see Da Vinci again. He really needs to start making friends," Roxy said to which Dylan agreed. About that time, D1 fell in the mud as D3 pulled the rope away.

Dylan sighed as he knew he would have to fight both of them to get them to take a bath. "Hehe, I guess I'll get going. Call me if you need anything," Roxy said, walking away as Dylan nodded and just chuckled as the Dimitris began to play wrestling in the mud.

As Dylan watched the Dimitris, Dolly was watching Da Vinci paint. The tomboy smiled watching her sister work, "Good job as always, Da Vinci," Dolly said as she saw the finished product, the painter smiled as she hugged Dolly.

"Da Vinci, have you had any nightmares recently?" Dolly asked her sister, feeling a little concerned as her sister seemed distant. "If you mean about… the incident… More than I care to. But, I know you still deal with what happened," Da Vinci said, not wanting to burden Dolly.

"That may be true, but I still care about you sis," Dolly told Da Vinci, and patted her head. "I don't think I ever really thanked you for what you did," the painter said to which Dolly smiled, Da Vinci was glad to get to spend time with Dolly for a change.

"You don't have to, we couldn't let our favorite painter get hurt," Dolly said with a giggle and ruffled Da Vinci's fur. "But, it's almost time to go. Do you mind getting Dante and Dawkins for me?" Dolly asked, noting it was almost time to head home.

"Sure thing," Da Vinci said and made her way to them, she was hoping to talk with the two on the way back. She'd noticed they'd been a bit more secretive the past couple of days and was concerned as to why.

**Also, Billy is from this story: ** /works/21166910


	4. Chapter 4: Mysterious Encounter

Detroit went up to the Dalmatian house in the early evening, carrying an old motorcycle engine in a cart. The mechanic got it up the steps before knocking, only to be met by Delilah. "Hello, you must be Detroit. Dawkins has been talking about you," Delilah said and gave her a warm smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Dalmatian. Yes, I was just bringing him something for a project he was working on," Detroit said with a smile, being as polite as she could as she was the guest and wanted to make a good first impression.

"You may just call me Delilah, it is nice to meet you," Delilah said with a smile as they walked to Dawkins room, chatting as they got to know each other. It wasn't long before they reached the inventor's room.

Dawkins let them in showing off what he was working on and left out the small detail of what it was. "I'll get to working placing the engine, so tell me, what was this again?" Detroit asked curious about the machine's nature.

"It's just an idea I had to see if I could recreate a lost object," Dawkins said and looked over at his doll's remains. The events of what happened with Cruella still in his head, though she was locked away as was Hunter so they wouldn't be a bother for the family for a long time.

"Hmm, sounds interesting," the mechanic said as she fit the engine in and grabbed a wrench from her tool box. Dawkins watched her put it together as his gaze began to drift, he soon caught himself and got back to watching what Detroit was doing to his mother's amusement.

"There's the gentledog I raised," Delilah teased a bit and patted the inventor's head as Detroit giggled a bit. The mechanic began to tighten the screws as Dawkins handed her whatever tools she needed.

"Dawk, what are you up to?" Dante said entering the room and saw them working. "He's trying to be gentledog, and I'm not making it easy~" Detroit teased and giggled, and caused Delilah to give her a stern look.

"Don't think I can't get onto you as well, young lady," Delilah said as she waggled a finger at Detroit. "Alright, I'll be on my best behavior," Detroit responded as she finished up placing the engine and got out from under it.

"Dawk, I'll talk with you later. I'm gonna go chat with Dolly a bit," Dante said and made his exit as Dawkins waved him off and nodded. The goth hadn't spent much time with his sister lately, and planned on changing that.

Dante knew where to find her, entering her room and saw her laying down. "Dante, something wrong?" Dolly asked and looked up at him, she smiled warmly at her brother as he laid next to her.

"No, Dolly. Just thought I'd hang out with you for a bit," Dante said and smiled as Dolly pulled him into a hug and began stroking his fur. "You're getting so big and strong, bet you'll sweep someone off their feet one day," Dolly said and smiled at him.

Dante looked at her and frowned, Dolly realized that might not be the best wording. "Sorry, bro. All I'm saying is some girl out there will be lucky to have you, maybe a guy if you go that way," Dolly said as Dante turned away uncomfortable with this subject.

"Is something wrong, Dante? You know you can tell me," Dolly told the goth, the tomboy getting concerned as she looked at her brother. "Dolly, it's just… I don't really understand my own thoughts if I'm honest," Dante admitted to her with a heavy sigh.

"Dante, I'm proud of you and love you. I'm sorry you keep having things happen that you can't control, I want to see you enjoy life. I want you to just enjoy being you," Dolly said as she pet Dante's head, and gave him a sad smile.

"I would love to, but I tried to go without fur dye for a week and couldn't stand looking at myself… I just can't get over it… Over anything… I need therapy, but I'm too scared to ask…" Dante said and just began to vent to Dolly, who hugged him as he broke down. "I just have too many problems for a relationship…" Dante told her as he cried.

"Listen, just get therapy, talk to mom and tell her or dad if you feel better talking with him. You and I have been through a lot, I'll always be there for you and want to see you be able to accept yourself," Dolly said and hugged Dante tight.

"I'll try to talk with Delilah, but I'm just still getting used to her… I guess," Dante admitted to her, still working on seeing past his emotional traumas. "She's been a great mom to us, Dante. Though, I know you try," Dolly said and hugged his neck, wanting to support him.

"Dolly, thank you for being there for me," Dante said and smiled at her, Dolly giggled and nuzzled him. "I'm your big sister, I have to keep my little bro in check," Dolly said and playfully punched Dante's shoulder.

Dante chuckled at that, taking a deep breath and looking at the clock in her room. He was meant to meet Fergus tonight, and it almost slipped his mind. "Go ahead, tell him I said 'hi'," Dolly said, already knowing what her brother was thinking about.

"I think Dawkins might join us tonight, guess you'll cover for me again?" Dante said, to which Dolly nodded. "Thanks, Dolly. I'm sorry things didn't work out for you two," Dante said as he got up and began to leave.

Dante made it to the door and noticed Detroit and Dawkins waiting on him, he approached and opened the door walking out to see Fergus waiting. " Wassup, doom and gloom?" Fergus asked, playfully ribbing Dante a bit.

"Not much, you little thief," Dante said back, giving Fergus a playful punch in the shoulder. "Ready to get this party started, I hear Portia will be there," Fergus said, the fox had been trying to get him to try dating to get his mind of things, but the goth had been reluctant.

"I told you before… Not really attractive to me, Not sure what Dylan sees in her…" Dante said and rolled his eyes, dating was not something he cared to discuss and he didn't really have his eyes on anyone at the moment.

"Oh, come on Ferg. Tall, dark, and handsome prefers to keep his romantic interests to himself it seems~" Detroit interjected and rubbed up against Dante, teasing the goth and making blush. Dawkins tried not to say anything, but he seemed very flustered by this.

Dante just frowned at the mechanic, obviously not appreciating her teasing at all. "Anyway, Dawkins and I will be there and he mentioned something about the park at midnight," Detroit said, quickly changing the subject.

"Well, I guess you can come even if we only met you a couple days ago," Dante said rolling his eyes, seeming more and more unenthused by the second. "Alright, you two settle down. We're here and it looks like the party just got started," Fergus said as he heard the music.

"Dawk, careful at this party, Dolly doesn't even know I'm here just that I'm with Fergus," Dante told Dawkins, warning him to be weary about this place. Dawkins saw what Dante meant by looking around, seeing how those around him acted.

Everyone seemed to be at least Dante's age or older, and he smelt an aroma that burnt his nose. He found the smells putrid and the conversations vulgar, the inventor wondered why he decided to go with the three as he kept looking over his shoulder.

"Oh, fancy seeing you here," Diana said as she walked over to them, a sly smirk on her face as she approached. "I could say the same for you," Dante said and frowned, he didn't trust her, something just didn't feel right.

"Oh, what's with the cold shoulder? No way to treat a lady," Diana said as she brushed up against Dante and flicked her tail on his nose. Dante did his best to ignore it, but her scent began to mess with his nose and made him feel intoxicated by her presence.

"What is this about?" Dante said, annoyed at her and ignored the three that were with him as they smirked at the scene. "Just thought I'd say 'hi', that doesn't bother you does it?" Diana asked as she looked at him with a teasing expression.

"Perhaps you and your friends could follow me to the park tonight, unless you have something else on your mind~" Diana said as she playfully nuzzled Dante's chest and looked up at the goth who was now visibly flustered.

"We would love to, but as much as I love watching this... I think we should focus on our little project, don't you agree, Dante?" Dawkins said, deciding to intervene and was a bit surprised by what Diana was doing.

"Of course, Dawk. Let's ditch this party and go now," Dante said as he wasn't really interested in staying. "Yeah, I guess the four of us can go there now," Fergus said and Detroit nodded, and with that the four followed Diana.

It was a fairly silent walk, Diana leading as Dante walked beside Fergus. "Something seems off about her, Ferg…" Dante whispered to Fergus who raised an eyebrow. "Dante, I think you're overthinking this," Fergus said, noting how unnerved Dante was when he saw Diana.

Once they got to the park, Diana led them to an area hidden from view by overgrown trees. Dante and the others looked around and noticed a figure standing nearby, a chill went down the group's spines as they got closer.

"Are these your friends, Diana?" The figure asked, her voice sweet as a mother speaking to her child. "More like acquaintances, but I did invite them to meet us here," Diana said as regal as ever. The older female dalmatian looked the group over as she gave them a warm smile.

"Very well, my name is Danae. It is a pleasure to meet you all," The older Dalmatian said as she stepped into the moonlight and revealed a necklace with a stone attached to it. It was hard to make out, but it had an inscription on it.

"What is that around your neck?" Dante asked looking at his surroundings, wondering if it was just his paranoia acting up this time. "It's a family heirloom, don't fret about it my dear. Though it is said to have the power to bring back the dead," Danae told them, as a cloaked figure approached the group.

"That's high improbability, that could not be backed without scientific evidence," Dawkins said, looking at the figure who was smaller than the adult Dalmatian. "Perhaps, young one, but the one under this cloak proves otherwise," Danae responded in her sweet voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dante asked as Fergus and Detroit looked to the figure, there was something strange going on and they knew it. "Go ahead, reveal yourself. Show them your face," Danae said with her charming voice, unsettling to all the pups as Diana went over to her mother.

The cloaked figure reached up and began to remove its hood, as Dawkins and Dante looked in shock. "No, it can't be…" Dante spoke as Fergus stood stunned in silence, Dawkins shaking as he saw the scene in front of him.

"This is impossible…" Dawkins said, the sight in front of him not seeming to register. It was something he couldn't explain. This had to be an illusion or a trick, there was no way the sight in front of him could be real.


	5. Back from the Dead?

The pup remembered it as clear as day, he was playing with his brothers and accidentally missed the ball they were playing with. Before he knew it he was running towards the ball with his brothers, he could hear something coming but before Dimitri 2 knew it he tripped over his paws.

He had felt something roll on top of him, and it was instantly followed by another hit. He saw ground and sky as he felt weightless before landing on the hard ground once more. D2 wanted to scream for help as he finally came to the realization he couldn't move.

His body was in pain as he tried to open his mouth and say what he needed to, choking on blood as he tried to do anything. He only felt sharp pains as he noticed Dolly and his brothers looking at him.

He begged for them not to leave him as Dolly did her best to comfort him, he felt the pain leaving his body as the world began to go dark for him. "Dolly… Please… Save me…" He let out as he drew his final breaths and his eyes began to close.

It was then that the pain stopped, D2 couldn't feel anything and he began to awaken to the sight of an older Dalmatian. As he began to stand up he looked at the Dalmatian, the pup recognized him from an old picture but didn't believe his eyes.

Dimitri 2's body shook and yet, he felt at peace while he looked up to the elder Dalmatian. Dimitri 2 was confused and a bit scared, not sure where he was as he tried to look around. D2 sat down at the Dalmatian's feet, wondering what was happening.

"Don't be afraid you are safe now," The older Dalmatian spoke as he smiled at D2. "You're Dylan's father… Donny?" D2 asked as he looked up at him confused, unsure where he was. "Yes, and I believe you're one of Delilah's sons," Donny asked, to which D2 nodded.

"Yeah, sort of… We were taken in awhile back," D2 said and smiled at Donny, who returned the gesture. "Family isn't always about who you're related to, but who is willing to support you through even your own flaws," Donny shared with the prankster.

"But, where am I? Can I go home?" D2 asked as he looked around to see where he was, it felt warm and peaceful but he still hadn't fully grasped what had happened. "No… I'm afraid you can not, but you will be safe now…" Donny told him with a sad smile.

D2 had no response to that as he looked at the ground in sorrow, wanting to see his family again. It seemed to be only a moment, as D2 contemplated his fate and felt a calm come over him. He wondered what his family felt as he began to walk in an aimless direction.

Dimitri 2 felt as if he stood there for only a moment before he heard a female voice call his name. He followed the voice and as D2 did so he felt heavier, still unsure about what was happening. Her voice seemed motherly and sweet as he listened, but couldn't recognize it.

Soon Dimitri was under a cloak as the voice called him to approach, he removed his hood to see what was in front of him. "Dante? Dawkins?" D2 spoke, unsure if he believed what he saw. His mind was filled with questions he couldn't answer as Dawkins approached.

"Dimitri 2? Is that really you?" Dawkins said as he walked forward and reached out to feel his once departed brother's fur. "Dawkins… W- what's going on? Where am I?" D2 asked with panic in his voice as he looked around the dark woods.

"I'm not sure… I can't explain this… I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation…" Dawkins said as he pulled D2 into a hug. "Wait… Dawkins, don't trust this… Something doesn't feel right…" Dante said as he walked over to his two brothers.

"He is your brother… But, I'm afraid if you want him back fully, there are things that must be done…" Danae spoke and looked at Dawkins with a cold expression. "Don't listen to her, Dawk… This seems like a trap of some kind…" Dante tried to warn.

"Shut up, Dante! I assure you I'll get to the bottom of this," Dawkins snapped as he looked D2 over to see if there were any signs of this being faked somehow. "We should get going, it's already a wee bit late," Fergus told them as he looked around, feeling as creeped out as Dante.

"Alright, we'll get going…" Dante said and began to leave. "Wait, what's all this about?" Detroit asked as she took in the scene. "You guys are taking me home right?" D2 asked and whined, looking at Dawkins and Dante with fear in his eyes.

"How would we explain this?" Dante asked as Dawkins turned to face him, and walked back over to Fergus. "Hey, wait up!" D2 exclaimed as he ran after Dawkins, Diana pulled Dante to the side having been silent for the whole time.

"I need to talk with you soon…" the regal pup spoke in a voice that felt like ice, Dante nodded as he walked away and didn't respond. Something was up and Dante knew it, but like Dawkins, the goth knew he'd have to spring the trap in order to find out.

Fergus decided it best to walk with Dante and Dawkins as they filled D2 in on what happened, they weren't sure how they would explain this to the family. Dante was conflicted and unsure of what to feel.

The goth would have called it a smoke and mirrors trick but D2 looked too real and seemed to remember things only D2 would know. Dante felt something was wrong, but he couldn't place it and just gulped the more he thought about this.

"Dante, is something wrong? I know you've always been a bit paranoid, but you seem a bit jittery," D2 said and looked Dante with concern in his eyes. "I… This can't be real… I saw your body… I was at the funeral… I…" Dante was saying and his voice was cracking as D2 looked away.

"Dante…" D2 let out with his voice cracking as his brother's words hit his ears. He couldn't speak as he walked with the group. D2 felt his eyes tearing up, as he wondered how everyone else would react.

"Dante, while I have my doubts I'm sure this is the real D2…" Dawkins said as Fergus remained silent. "I just… Dawkins, think about it… There's no way she could know this is our brother without something shady going on," Dante said with venom in his voice.

"We'll just have to go with it and hope for the best. Sure there's something strange going on, but I'm sure there's a scientific explanation…" Dawkins spoke with a sigh, just wishing Dante wasn't stubborn at times.

"Dante, I'm not sure here either… But, I do know something that only the family would know about you…" D2 said wanting to prove he was indeed the real deal. "And what is that?" Dante said as he glared at D2, the troublemaker wondered why his brother was being so cold to him.

"Dante… I know what happened with your birth mother… I know what she tried to do to you… Just because Doug looked like he would win you and Dolly in the divorce…" D2 said as Dante shivered from what was said, still haunted by the events of that day.

"Let's just get home… We'll figure this out soon enough…" Dawkins said, trying to keep Dante from getting upset. Fergus patted Dante on the back as they walked, the silence only broken by the distant sound of traffic.

Dawkins walked up the steps and entered the house, not sure there was any point breaking the silence. All his mind could think of was how to explain this to the family, and even how to explain this to himself.

"Where have you two been? You should have… Fergus? And wh- No… What the fuck? What the actual fuck?!" Dolly said as she noticed who all had entered the door, if this was a joke she expected way better from the three of them.

"Wait, Dolly… Before you say anything else… We can explain…" Dawkins said as he approached a visibly distressed Dolly. "Sis, it's me… I can't explain it... But, it's me…" Dimitri 2 tried to say as Dolly's body shook with an array of emotions.

"Dolly… He knows things that only family or close friends would know… I'm still suspicious… Don't get me wrong… But, there's more to this than what you think," Dante said as he tried to reason with his sister.

"You three had better tell me what's going on… I can't believe this is happening right now…" Dolly said as she began hyperventilating on the verge of a panic attack, feeling as if she was reliving a nightmare.

"We aren't entirely sure, we met a mysterious dog who claims to be able to bring back the dead," Dawkins said, trying to think on it and come up with a plausible theory. "Take me to her in the morning, I would like to see this for myself," Dolly told them sternly and walked away, Dante and Dawkins exchanged looks as they thought about what had just happened.

"Alright, you two best I get out of here… See ya," Fergus said and exited the house quickly, something was wrong and he needed to find out what. While the Dalmatians dealt with trying to explain their once deceased brother's sudden appearance, Fergus was going to find out who Diana and Danae were and that was the only thought in his mind.


End file.
